The present invention relates to a side panel assembly for a motor vehicle body which extends at least from an A-column to a rear wheel mounting in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to the rear and has a side panel structure as well as a side panel planking connected therewith.
DE 29 31 467 C3 shows a rear side panel assembly for a passenger car which has an interior side panel part and an exterior side panel part serving as the planking. Several reinforcing elements are placed on the interior side panel part and are covered by the side panel planking serving as the exterior side panel part.
DE 27 12 084 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,264 show one side panel assembly respectively consisting of two half shells which cover one another, in which case their column-shaped hollow-profile areas of the assemblies may be provided with inserted reinforcing sections.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a side panel assembly having a simply configured side panel planking and forms favorable structural conditions particularly for a side impact.
The foregoing object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention in that the side panel structure is constructed of two side panel parts which are assembled transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which are each constructed in a half shell manner at least in a side member area. The side panel parts complement one another to form a hollow profile which constitutes the side member and replaces the side panel planking in this area. As a result favorable structural conditions are formed for the secure absorption of side impact loads.
The side panel assembly has another potential for a higher dimensioning. In addition, the side panel assembly has a simple configuration and can be manufactured at reasonable cost and is therefore particularly suitable for forming variants within a vehicle series. As the result of the skillfully selected structural conditions of the side panel assembly, a targeted dimensioning can be achieved which, in the case of identical side impact requirements, has weight advantages with respect to the prior art.
As the result of the solution according to the present invention, the side member is already formed by the side panel structure, that is, by the two interior side panel parts so that the side panel planking fitted on from the outside can be manufactured without a side member profile. Consequently, the side panel planking is easy to manufacture and can easily be placed on the side panel structure. In this case, the side panel structure is composed of an interior side panel part and an exterior side panel part which is used particularly for the reinforcement, in which case both side panel parts were joined beforehand to form a one-piece component.
Preferably, all three side panel parts, i.e., the interior side panel part and the exterior side panel part used for the reinforcement as well as the side panel planking closing off toward the outside are manufactured as one-piece sheet steel stampings. A high-expenditure welding-together of the respective side panel parts is eliminated as a result of this solution.
According to a further feature of the present invention, at least an exterior section of a rear wheel mounting is linked to the interior side panel part. Thus, either only an exterior or an exterior and an interior section of the rear wheel mounting are linked to the interior side panel. Thereby, the construction of the side panel assembly is further simplified.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the exterior side panel part has visible exterior shells of a lower A-column part adjoining the side member as well as of a B-column adjoining the side member. With this embodiment, the shape of the side panel planking is further simplified because the exterior side panel part of the side panel structure in a lower section of the A-column as well as in the area of the B-column already forms the shell of the motor vehicle body and a side panel planking is therefore not required in these areas.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, the side panel planking covers the remaining sections of the shell of the side panel. Therefore, on one hand, the side panel planking covers the side panel structure in the areas in which the side panel structure does not itself form the shell of the side panel assembly. Furthermore, the side panel planking contributes to the additional reinforcement of the side panel assembly because, in the area of the side panel planking, three profile layers are provided, specifically the interior side panel part, the exterior side panel part and the side panel planking.